Dr Jorge Raúl Castro Dorticós, a cardiologist with more than 35 years of experience, says a preventive check-up is the most effective tool for avoiding heart attacks and strokes.
His background
Dr Castro Dorticós has worked in hospitals in Spain and abroad and now sees patients at the Ibiza Neurology Clinic. He specialises in clinical cardiology, heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias) and electrophysiology. His training includes heart failure, cardiovascular prevention and acute cardiac care, and he is experienced in implanting subcutaneous heart monitors and managing pacemakers and defibrillators.
He is a long-standing member of the European Society of Cardiology and of the arrhythmia and pacing sections of the Spanish Society of Cardiology.
Why early checks matter
Many heart conditions can be detected before any symptoms appear. Controlling the main risk factors — blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar — significantly reduces the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Who should get checked
- Women after the menopause.
- People with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea.
- Anyone with palpitations, dizziness, fainting, chest pain or breathlessness.
- Young people with a family history of sudden death or inherited heart disease.
- People in jobs where safety depends on their health, such as pilots, firefighters and public transport drivers.
- Athletes before starting intense training.
Tests available
- Echocardiogram: an ultrasound scan of the heart.
- Holter monitoring: continuous recording of heart rhythm over 24 hours or longer.
- Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
- Tests for arrhythmias and sleep apnoea.
A team approach
Working within a clinic that includes specialists in internal medicine, neurology and rehabilitation allows complex cases, such as patients being assessed before surgery, to be considered from several angles.
Heart disease in Ibiza
According to Dr Castro Dorticós, Ibiza sees between 150 and 200 heart attacks and between 125 and 150 strokes each year, many of which could be prevented by better control of risk factors.
The basics of prevention
- Don’t smoke.
- Keep active: at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.
- Eat a Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables, fruit, olive oil, pulses and fish.
- Know your numbers: blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
- Take prescribed medication consistently.
Symptoms such as chest pain, sudden weakness on one side of the body or difficulty speaking are emergencies: call 112 immediately.
